Ischemic retinopathies, such as diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, glaucoma, retinopathy of prematurity, retinal venous and arterial occlusions, among others, comprise a major leading cause of vision loss in the industrialized world. The fundamental underlying problem associated with these ischemic retinopathies is a chronic shortage of oxygen delivery to the retina. Over time, the cells in the retina progressively lose their ability to function, and the patient suffers a progressive loss of vision. While the current state of treatment using either lasers or injectable medication provides a means of slowing the rate of vision loss, it does not treat the underlying problem, i.e., a lack of tissue oxygen.
What is therefore needed is a novel intraocular implant that would make possible the reversal of ischemic retinopathies and the associated vision loss. The present disclosure addresses this need.